PURPOSE The purpose of this research was to develop and evaluate the effect of a mind map for relief of emotional labor and burnout among nurses in outpatient departments in cancer hospitals. METHODS We developed a mind map to reduce emotional labor and burnout. A quasi-experimental study was used with a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. Data were collected from December 2012 to April 2013. Participants were 35 nurses working in the outpatient department of a cancer hospital. The experimental group participated in the mind map program biweekly for 10 weeks. Data were analyzed using chi2-test, Mann-Whitney U test, paired t-test, and Wilcoxon sign rank test with the SPSS 21.0 program. RESULTS The physical burnout and total burnout scores decreased significantly in the intervention group which took the mind map program. CONCLUSION Findings indicate that the mind map is an effective intervention to reduce burnout in outpatient department nurses.